Animal-simulating rider-actuated bouncing toy



' y 1957 M. M. BOTTEMILLER ET AL 2,793,044

ANIMAL-SIMULATING RIDER-ACTUATED BOUNCING TOY Filed March 4, 1954 14770P/YE/ ANIMAL-SIMULATING RIDER-ACTUATED BOUNCING TOY Merton M. Bottemiller, Wadena, and Alvin L. Engelmann,

Bertha, Minn.

Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,194 9 Claims. (Cl. 2801.13)

The present invention is particularly concernedwith a bouncing toy of the type which supports the weightof a child or other person, and tends to advance along a surface as the toy is bounced.

An object of the present invention is to provide such a device which has a rearwardly extending abutment which serves to aid in the device moving forward as it is bounced by the occupant.

A; still further object of the invention is to provide such .a device in which the rearwardly extending abutment serves to prevent the device from tipping backward.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which is extremely simple in construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a bouncing toy in which there is employed a conicalspring of a type in which the successive coils telescope within one another to minimize the danger of fingers being caught between the turns of the coils.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a device in which there are handle members and a. figure resembling the head of an animal so as to simulate to the rider the effect of riding an animal.

These and other objects of the invention will be ap-' parent from a consideration of the accompanying de-' scription, claims, and drawing, of which:

Figure 1 ing toy, 1 t

Figure 2 is a detail of the extremity of the rearwardly extending abutment thereof,

Figure 3 is a view showing one manner of attaching the conical spring and a seat member to the main por-f tion of the device,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the toy, and- Figure 5 is aview similar to Figure 1 but with-the toy in the position it assumes at the upper extremity of its motion while being bounced.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the toy is' shown in Figure 1 in the form of a toy horsewhich is designed to be bounced along a floor or other surface. The main elements of the horse are secured to and are supported by a coil spring 10, the coils of which are progressively increasing in diameter going from the top to the bottom.

The lowermost coil, best shown in Figure 4, is covered with a rubber sleeve 11 to protect the floor 12, or other supporting surface, against abrasion, and to minimize the noise resulting from operation of the toy.

Secured to the upper end of coil is a bar15 and a' seat 16. The bar 15 is shown in the form of a-metallic tube, the intermediate portion of which extends substan'- tially horizontally. The forward end of the bar 15 is turned upwardly, and has secured thereto a figure 18 resembling the head of a horse. The horse may be se cured to the bar by rivets 19 or any other suitable fastening means.--A rod 20, best shown in Figure-4, extends through the figure 18 on each side of the figure for a sufiicient distance to be grasped by the hands of one seated on the seat 16. Thus, rod 20 acts as a handle member. This rod may be of wood or metal or other is an elevational view of our improved bo'uuc' 2,193,044 Patented May 21, 1957 suitable materials, and secured directly to the bar 15 or merely to the figure 18, which, in turn, is secured to the bar 15, as previously described.

The rearward extremity of bar 15 is curved downwardly so that the most rearward portion thereof extends substantially vertically. Secured to this extremity is a compression spring 25, as best shown in Figure 2. Approximately two turns of the spring may extend over the lower end-of bar 15 with the upper end. of the spring secured to bar 15 by a bolt 26 extending through the bar 15andan eyelet at the upper end of the spring 25.

both secured to the spring 10.

1 secured to the seat member 16 by is mediately disposed bar The lower portion of the spring 25 has secured thereto a rubber cushion member 28 which may resemble a crutch tip inconfiguration. This rearward and lower extremity of rod 15 together with the spring 25 and cushionmember 28 constitute an abutment member designed not only to prevent the device from tipping backward but also to serve as an indexing member to aid in the forward pro-. pulsion of the toy as it is bounced by the occupant.

As previously noted, the seat 16 and the bar 15 are Any suitable means may be employed for fastening the seat member 16 and the bar 15 to the spring 10. One example of sucha fastening means is shownin Figure 3 in which the seat member -16 is shown in vertical section. It will be noted that welding or any other suitable manner are a pair of downwardly extending ears 30, only one of which is visible in the drawing. These two cars are disposed on opposite sides of the bar 15, and a bolt 31 passes through the two cars and the inter- 15. Upon the bolt being tightened, the ears are drawn tightly against the bar 15 to hold the seat member 16 rigidly with respect to the bar. The bar is fastened to the upper coil of spring 10 by a flat bar 35 which extends underneath the upper coil 36'of coil 10 and which is clamped to the main bar 15 p in the drawing in the from top. to bottom. The increase in diameter is sufiicient that the coils freely telescope within each other as the spring is compressed. The use of this type of coil spring has several advantages. It permits the seat member 16'3to be mounted directly with the assurance that the spring can be wide enough at the base to provide a high degree of stability to the toy, and yet narrow enough at the top to permit the spring being comfortably straddled by a child seated on the seat 16. Furthermore, the conical spring 10, because of the telescoping character of the coils minimizes chancesof fingers being caught between turns of the coil as the coil is compressed. I Referring now to the operation of the device, the child wil facing forwardly and grasping the handle member 20. The height of the coil 10 is approximately the height of the lower legs of the child so that the childs feet can rest comfortable on the floor. Upon the child applying its weight in a bouncing motion, the spring 10is compressed. Before the childs weight is w applied, the cushion member 28 at the lower extremity of bar 15 is well above the surface upon which spring 10 rests. As the'spring is compressed, the cushion member 28 is brought into engagement with the supporting surface 12 and the spring 25 extending between the lower end of the bar 15 and the cushion member 28 is compressed. Thereafter, as the coil 10 is further compressed, the cushion member 28 serves to retard any rearward on the top of spring 10' movement of the toy. and acts as a pivot point about which continued movement of the bar 15 takes place. Upon the child raising its weight and the coil 10 expanding again, the coil 10 will tend to leave the surface 12 (as shown in Figure if the bounce is sutficiently violent. surface 12 at a point slightly forward of thatfr om which it left the surface, due in part to an indexing function imparted by the cushion member 2% preventing any rearward movement of the toy. This action may also be assisted by the child in the way in which he shifts his weight. The result is that the toy may be propelled rather rapidly about a floor or other surface asit is bounced.

The abutment 28, as previously noted, also insures against the device tippingrbackwardly. The feet of the child prevent the device from tipping forwardly and with the provision of the abutment-23. the device is very stable despite the extreme simplicity of the construction. I

It will be seen that we have provideda-bouncing toy of extremely simple construction which maybe propelled forwardly readily upon the "user bouncing upand'down on the same. 3

As it leaves the surface, it tends to'reengage the Whilewe have described a spec fic-form ofour deviee,

itis to be understood that the inventionis limitedsolelyby the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention: v a 1 1. In a:toy;ada'p'ted: to "be bounced along a surface, a compression spring adapted to rest on such a surface, a

device supported by saidcompressionspring anddesigned to receive thezweight of.'a'.p'ers0 n,jand a rearwardly and downwardly extending abutment member secured with: respect tofsaiddevice and adapted to frictionally engage the. surface. whenever. a person supported on the device applies his weight to compress the spring.

2. Inatoy adapted to be "bounced along a surface, a compressionspring adapted to. rest ,on such a surface, a seat supported by said compression spring, and la rear wardly and downwardly extending abutment member secured with respect-to saidseatzand adaptedto frictionallyengage the surface whenever .an occupant .ofthe seat applies his weight .to compress the. springjso asito prevent rearward movement of-s'aid toy alongsaid'surface assaid springis compressed; H g i 3. 1m atoy adaptedjto be bounced'along a surface, a

compression spring adapted to rest on such a surface, a

device supported by said compression spring and designed to receive the weight of a person, a ,rearwlar'dly and downwardly extending; abutmentjmember secured with respect to said device and adapted to frictionally engagethe.

surface whenever aperson-supported. on the deviceapplies his weigl ltto compress the spring so ,as to prevent rearward movement. of said t op along said surface as said spring is compressed, and means also secured with respect tosaid device to be grasped by the hands of the person on said device.

' 4. Inatoy adapted to be bounced along a surface, a compression spring adapted to rest on such a surface,

said spring being a conical spring with the lowermost coil,

being of largest diameter and the relative diameters of the coils being such that they tend to telescope within each other as the spring is compressed, a device supported by said compressionspring and designed to receive the weight of a person, the coils of said spring being of sufficiently great diameter as to normally prevent tipping thereof with the weight of a person thereon, and a rearwardly and downwardly extending abutment member secured with respect to saiddevice and adapted to engage the surfacewhenever a person supported on the device applies his weight to compress the spring.

5. In a toy adapted to be bounced alonga surface, ;acompression spring adapted to rest on such a surface, a

seat supported by said compression spring, said spring being of approximately the same height as the lower legs of a small child so that when a child is on said seat, his feet can rest on the surface, the coils of said spring being of sufficiently great diameter as to normally prevent tipping thereof, and a rearwardly and downwardly extending abutment member secured with respect to said seat and adapted to engage the surface whenever an occupant of the seat applies his weight to compress the spring.

6. In a toy adapted to be bounced along a surface, a compression spring adapted to rest; on such a surface, a seat member and an elongated bar, both said seat memher and said. bar being supported by and secured to said spring with said seat member at an intermediate point along said bar, said bar having its rearward portion extending downwardly to form an abutment adapted to engage the surface whenever an occupant of the seat applies his weight to compress the. spring, and said bar having its forward portion extending upwardly with a handle member secured thereto.

i 7. In a toy adapted to be bounced along a surface, a compression spring adapted to rest on such a surface, a seat-member, and an elongated bar, bothsaidseat member and said bar being supported byand secured to said spring with said seat member at an intermediate pointalong said bar, said bar having its rearward portion extending downwardly to form an abutment adapted to engage the surface whenever an occupant of theseat applies his weight to compress the spring, and said bar having its forward portion extending upwardly with a handle member, and a figure resembling the head of an animal secured to said forward portion adjacent the forward extremity thereof.

8. In a toy adapted to be bounced along a surface, a compression spring adapted to rest on such a surface, av device supported by said compression spring and-designed to receive the weight of. a person, and a rearwardly and downwardly extending. abutment member secured with respect to said device'and; adapted .to engage the surface whenever a personisupported on the device applies. his Weight tov compress. the spring, said abutment portion having aresilientm'ember securedthereto to minimize the noise resulting from'lengagement ofsaid member with. the. surface and to prevent movement of said member along said surface during engagement therewith.

9. In a toy 'adapted to be bounced along a surface, a compression spring adapted to rest on such asurface, said spring being a conical spring with the lowermostcoil being of largest diameter and therela'tive diameters of' the coils being such that they tend to telescope. withineach other assthe spring is compressed, a seat secured to the upper coil of the-spring, and a handle melnlner also seemed tosaid springand disposed substantially higher than and forwardly of said seat, said spring further being ofapproximately' the same height as the lower legs of I a small' childso that when a child is; on said seat with a hand grasping saidhandle member his feet can rest on the surface and the lowermost coil being of sufficiently greatdiameter. as to normally prevent tippingof the toy in use. 1

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1).. 94,767 Joutras Mar/5, 1935 1,537,729 Banks May 12, 1925 2,452,869 Richards Nov. 2, 1948 2,494,094 Horstrnan Jan. 10, 1950 2,510,509 Mays u June 6, 1950. FOREIGN PATENTS 1 6 7.,1 Great Britain- Dec. .8, @1921, 

